Most horses in large plants are killed by captive bolt which is very very humane. Have you done any research about horse slaughter that didn't involve youtube or PETA? If you want to write a good paper then you need to have both sides of the issue.

I have a argument based research pre-plan that I am going by. I needed to get opinion's first and then conduct research based on the opinions.

OP, you're going to find a very large contingent of people here who have no problem with equine slaughter.

A worldwide ban isn't feasible, for the simple reason that even in the same country there are people who oppose it and those who don't. The only thing the antis have managed to do in the U.S. Is get the slaughter plants closed. Processing for human consumption is still legal, although the marketing and sale of horse meat for human consumption isn't. There are several states where even that has been banned, California being one, but not many out of the 50 even go that far.

Other countries have no such bans, and some horses are even raised as meat animals. A worldwide ban would put the horse meat producers out of business, thus damaging the local economy of that region. It would also have far reaching economic consequences, because as the local economies collapsed, it would affect the total economy of those particular countries, which would affect their abilities to trade, buy, and sell in the global marketplace.

We are all connected economically. If one country's economy collapses, the shock waves would reach other countries. Why do you think the current U.S. Economic crisis has spelled disaster for other nations?

A ban on horse meat isn't based on economic necessity, it's driven by nothing more than emotional desire to see a species exempted that only some people see as 'better' or 'more deserving' than any other meat animal on the planet.

If you want your animals exempt, don't ever put them in the position where they could possibly go for meat. Otherwise, just because you have an overreaching emotional connection to a particular species, doesn't mean everyone should or could.

I have not researched this topic at all in the past and was actually against it. However, after having this discussion, it has opened my eyes to a different view and it seems more logical but yet hard to take. I may take the essay in a different direction after this thread.

I have not researched this topic at all in the past and was actually against it. However, after having this discussion, it has opened my eyes to a different view and it seems more logical but yet hard to take. I may take the essay in a different direction after this thread.

Thanks!

That is the mark of maturity. The ability to change your mind when confroted with evidence.

After doing the proper research both for and against, I reached the conclusion that the only reasons people are against it are pretty much emotion-based. After that, I had to side with those who really don't see a problem with it.

We've seen a lot of starving, neglected horses here in the U.S. These past 5 to 8 years. It has little to do with the slaughter plants closing down, and more to do with the economy. If people can't afford to feed and house their families, they're certainly not going to spend money to properly care for a very large animal with expensive needs.

The auctions are still alive and well in this country, and just as many horses still go to slaughter as they did when the plants were open and running. The only difference now is that they have longer trailer rides, and the U.S. Has no way to regulate how the animals are treated once they're over our borders.

Horse meat sales are driven by that easiest to understand economic standard, supply and demand. If the demand goes down, so do the slaughter numbers. If the demand goes up, so do the numbers. The demand has remained fairly steady, so horses are still being shunted through Canada and Mexico.

We have to remember that if we deny someone their livelihood, it doesn't just affect them. It affects their whole economy, which in turn affects the global marketplace. If by banning something worldwide we create global economic chaos, that in turn leads to more abuse and neglect, not less.

Don't get me wrong, I love my horses. To me, they're pets. As long as I do everything I can to keep them well fed and cared for properly while they're under my stewardship, I understand that I have no right to say what happens to them if I should sell or give them away.

I have not researched this topic at all in the past and was actually against it. However, after having this discussion, it has opened my eyes to a different view and it seems more logical but yet hard to take. I may take the essay in a different direction after this thread.

Thanks!

i used to be rabidly anti slaughter as well. A great friend opened my eyes to a different view. He simply stated that there are those horses in the world that are truly useless, either that screwed up in the head or physically not worth anything for whatever reason. What else is there to do with them other than put them down and let them go to waste?

I am glad to see that you are learning more about this topic, and honestly I thank you! I have a speech I have to do for a class and this is going to the top as a possible topic!

When I researched more, and realized that the reason I was against it was not for the best interest, it made my presentation that much more entertaining for class.

I am almost positive that 90% of my class will be for the ban. However, I hope to change their minds, like I have, after my presentation.

Thanks to everyone that has contributed to this thread.

FFN

Quote:

Originally Posted by spence

i used to be rabidly anti slaughter as well. A great friend opened my eyes to a different view. He simply stated that there are those horses in the world that are truly useless, either that screwed up in the head or physically not worth anything for whatever reason. What else is there to do with them other than put them down and let them go to waste?

I am glad to see that you are learning more about this topic, and honestly I thank you! I have a speech I have to do for a class and this is going to the top as a possible topic!

You've restored, at least a little, my faith that people are inherently intelligent and are open to changing their minds when presented with logical, factual information.

I dislike hysterical rantings or abrupt dismissals when something doesn't fit someone's ideals of how the world is supposed to work in their minds.

Equine slaughter is inherently a hot button topic, and certainly not helped by the likes of PETA, HSUS, and all the other animal rights groups. It's all about emotional manipulation for those groups, not about real research and cold, hard facts.

I believe there would be a bigger problem if kill pens in the US didnt exist. Of course there horses are sent to mexico and canada from the US. Think of how many horses would die from neglect, if people weren't selling them off at auctions. No one would be able to get rid of them. I think there might even be more herds of wild horses in rural areas, and then BLM would have to step it up even more, and cost people more in tax dollars.

When a horse become a nusence and no one takes care of it because the owners can't afford necessities and can't get rid of them, it leads to an even worse death then slaughter. Selling a horse for slaughter is also alot cheeper then having to put it down and having the carcass hauled away.

Register Now

In order to be able to post messages on the The Horse Forum forums, you must first register.

Already have a Horse Forum account?
Members are allowed only one account per person at the Horse Forum, so if you've made an account here in the past you'll need to continue using that account. Please do not create a new account or you may lose access to the Horse Forum. If you need help recovering your existing account, please Contact Us. We'll be glad to help!

New to the Horse Forum?Please choose a username you will be satisfied with using for the duration of your membership at the Horse Forum. We do not change members' usernames upon request because that would make it difficult for everyone to keep track of who is who on the forum. For that reason, please do not incorporate your horse's name into your username so that you are not stuck with a username related to a horse you may no longer have some day, or use any other username you may no longer identify with or care for in the future.

User Name:

Password

Please enter a password for your user account. Note that passwords are case-sensitive.

Password:

Confirm Password:

Email Address

Please enter a valid email address for yourself.

Email Address:

Log-in

User Name

Remember Me?

Password

Human Verification

In order to verify that you are a human and not a spam bot, please enter the answer into the following box below based on the instructions contained in the graphic.

Old Thread Warning

This thread is more than 90 days old. When a thread is this old, it is often better to start a new thread rather than post to it. However, If you feel you have something of value to add to this particular thread, you can do so by checking the box below before submitting your post.I am aware that this is an old thread and I want to revive it rather than starting a new thread.